The First Parade
by Tabbyluna
Summary: Chop Chop would be leaving town the next day. But before then, he has time to help set up one last parade.


Chop Chop had spent centuries travelling through Skylands. During his time searching for masters, he saw many different things in his life. He walked through busy cities and tiny towns. He travelled through mountainous regions and seaside villages. He had visited hamlets and kingdoms. Jungles and deserts. And in his time, he had met many remarkable people who had gone on to do wonderful things for the good of Skylands.

But there were some people he met that he found thoroughly unpleasant. They were the pig-headed. The greedy. The hateful, the prideful, and the bigoted. And just as Chop Chop could name stand-out examples of noble, pure-hearted individuals, he could also cite individuals who were utterly revolting and cruel.

He recalled one man in particular, who went around spreading bigoted rhetoric to various small towns and hamlets. The first time he met the man, he was nearing the end of his life. He died almost a week after Chop Chop had met him. A part of him was grateful that he did not know him more. But once he died, only then did Chop Chop realise the extent of the damage done.

He studied the methods of the man, and realised that he was truly a genius at strategy. Every town he visited to spread his hate was already failing economically in some form. In that town, he would swoop in, help save a dying industry, and then when he had the villagers' hearts in his hands he would start to tell them about his bigoted ways. He would always choose small towns, set up out in the middle of nowhere. Towns which could not easily get other outside influences. Then from there he would start to tell them about how men should only be with women and vice versa. How no one should feel the need to be called a different gender from the one they were assigned. How anyone who felt no need to be in a relationship was sick in the head. And anyone who felt otherwise should be silenced and isolated.

Chop Chop wished he could have been in one of those towns and spoke up against him. But alas, Skylands was a large place. And he had been busy scouring through the Land of the Undead while that man was talking in towns.

Chop Chop himself personally felt no sexual desire of any sort. He talked with many people in his journey through Skylands, and so while he had an idea of what it felt like, he did not personally feel it. He felt a desire to get a life partner though. Although he would prefer his partner to be male, he would not mind it if he found an especially special woman to be a life partner. The idea that people like him - nay, people period - had been silenced made his blood boil.

One thing he learned on his journey throughout Skylands was that the easiest road to corruption and dogma was silencing opposing viewpoints. And one of the best ways to end it was to give the silenced a voice, so that they may be heard. They would be criticised, their arguments may be rebuked, nobody may even listen to them. But the important thing was that they could be heard. A voice is a powerful tool, after all.

Thus, after the man's death, he made it his mission to try and find those towns he talked in, and give the marginalised their voices back. In every town he went to, he always stayed and fought to the very end. Some towns progressed faster than others, but they always eventually progressed. And seeing the fruits of his labour was always satisfying to him. That's why he stayed to the very end.

He recalled one of those fruits. It was his last day in the small town of Engleton, before he would go onto the next one. There, he would begin a fight for acceptance again. But that day he wanted to stay a while. Because it would be the first time the town wanted to host a Pride Parade.

A gay boy suggested the idea of a parade, because he was a talented performer and liked performing during victories. Everyone thought that it was a good idea, and within a month, everything was set up. Everyone got together in the evenings to make floats, organise performances, and sew costumes. And Chop Chop acted as the head organiser.

It was a lot of hand work being organiser. Making sure all the performers, the costumes, and the floats were ready was a special kind of hectic. But he was always more impressed with the surrounding mabu, if he were to be honest with himself. He, being Undead, did not have to worry about things like eating and sleeping. But the mabu did. Yet, the mabu all put in a-hundred-and-ten percent of their effort into making that whole shebang the best that it could be. Sometimes even skipping meals and sleep to prepare for the parade. And all their efforts were something that Chop Chop could not help but admire.

But finally, it was all floats, the performers, everything. Chop Chop spent the previous night baking bread and filling bottles with water. Then when the sun was about to rise, he headed to the village square with a wagon full of the goods. The workers would need a good breakfast. And the people needed to stay hydrated.

He greeted the first few many who arrived, and handed them their bread rolls. They were all still sleepy, tired, but they wore huge smiles on their faces. Chop Chop knew that many of these mabu were older ones. They had experienced the worst of the oppression. But now that they'd broken a barrier, many told him that they felt more free than ever. They felt liberated, for the first time in a long, long time.

So many thanked him. But Chop Chop never felt the need to be thanked. This should be their right, should it not?

After a quick breakfast, they all got to work. Together, they drove the many floats out. Slowly, they all got lined up in order, with Chop Chop supervising and directing them where to go. The minute the last float was in its position, the first few performers showed up and reported in. Chop Chop gave them some bread, then instructed them to get ready.

"All of you guys should get ready by nine o'clock. Then we'll get into positions, and begin the parade."

The performers nodded, their faces stuffed with fresh bread. After finishing, they cleaned the crumbs off their faces and headed into a large barn to change and do their makeup.

The floats and costumes had all been stored safely in that barn. Generously donated by a farmer, she was more than happy to let them use it. Chop Chop found out that she was not technically a part of the community when she first offered the barn. At first, most of the other mabu were confused as to why she would do that. But then the mabu explained that her sister was a lesbian, and her best friend recently came out as trans. So she figured it was one way to show her support for them.

More performers came soon enough. They were all given a bread roll, and then ushered into the barn to get ready. In the meantime, Chop Chop busied himself with double checking the safety features on the floats. It was a time where his Undead nature came in rather handy. Nothing could kill him. He was the best person for the job.

Soon, the performers were all ready and busy doing warmups in the barn. Chop Chop gathered all the drivers of the floats, and whispered words of encouragement to them. He looked around, and took note of all their familiar faces. Some had been fighting with him since day one. Some joined in later, and some just joined in. One of them was an ally, and another was a well-behaved woman. That is, he did not fight with his voice, but he continued to live his life in secret until it was safe to come out as a man.

He saw all of them, and could not help but smile at how far they had all come. They stood in a circle, placed their hands into the centre, and cheered together happily. "Engleton Pride Parade!" They raised their hands in the air on the last syllable. And more clapping and cheering followed.

Finally, it was time to get the show on the road. The radio broadcasters were there, and while the crew was busy setting up their equipment, the commentators talked to Chop Chop about what was and was not tasteful to say. Chop Chop had to admit, these two were the nicest radio stars he had ever met. They were stand out examples in his mind. Mainly because most of the radio stars he met had been Prima Donnas, but he digressed.

The performers were in place. The drivers were as well. The equipment was set up, and the commentators were ready. This was it. It was time. Chop Chop gave his thumbs up. Then it was finally show time.


End file.
